BACKGROUND: Upon injury, tissue repair often leads to a loss in functionality, organisation, and structure. The immune system, particularly macrophages, is crucial during tissue healing. Macrophages polarise into pro-inflammatory M1 and anti-inflammatory M2 subsets, regulating various stages of tissue healing. Macrophages steer fibroblasts in the process of extracellular matrix degradation, synthesis, and rearrangement. However, the direct role of paracrine signalling by different macrophage phenotypes on fibroblast-induced structural tissue remodelling remains elusive. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how paracrine factors from M1, M2a, and M2c macrophages affect fibroblast remodelling abilities in an in vitro model system. METHODS: Macrophages were polarised in vitro, and their conditioned medium or cytokine-enriched medium containing specific macrophage-secreted factors was added to fibroblast-populated reconstituted collagen tissues. RESULTS: Macrophage-conditioned media led to changes in fibroblast-induced tissue compaction for all macrophage subsets. The presence of macrophage polarising factors in the conditioned medium, particularly LPS/IFNc, and high serum levels directly affected tissue compaction and matrix remodelling gene expression. Without these confounding factors, M1 cytokine-enriched medium led to reduced tissue compaction when compared to M2a/M2c cytokine-enriched media. MMP activity analysis showed that matrix degradation likely contributed to tissue compaction. CONCLUSION Factors secreted by M1 macrophages resulted in reduced tissue compaction compared to M2a/M2c macrophages in an in vitro model of tissue remodelling, suggesting a diminished capacity for fibroblasts to remodel the extracellular matrix. Importantly, factors to polarize macrophages and serum are regarded as confounding factors in studying the effect of paracrine signalling by macrophages on tissue remodelling.

PIP: This presentation focuses on the involvement of the Church in the HIV/AIDS awareness campaign. The Church believes in the sacredness of life in every person and in a human dignity that needs to be respected. Therefore, people with AIDS should not be condemned, avoided, or rejected. The Church also points out the importance of HIV/AIDS awareness education in explaining the meaning of human sexuality in the context of marriage and religious teaching. Young people are also challenged to be faithful to their Christian valuesparticularly those of respect, sacrifice, discipline, and responsible sexual behavior. Due to the seriousness of the HIV/AIDS situation, both the Church and the government should take up the responsibility to prevent the spread of these diseases. Moreover, in addition to medical programs, Church-related organizations will continue to provide psychological, social, and economic support as well as counseling services.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome -psychology ; Endemic Diseases - prevention & ; control ; Mental Healing ; Papua New Guinea - epidemiology ; Religion and Medicine ; Self-Help Groups - organization & ; administration ; Stress, Psychological - prevention & ; control

PIP: This paper discusses the provision of sex education to grade 7 students in Papua New Guinea. Since officials in both the government and the Church are still hesitant on the question of including sex education in the curriculum, the author cites the reasons why there is a need to provide factual information about sexuality, STDs, and AIDS to everyone. Among the reminders given to decision-makers are the following: 1) nobody has ever become pregnant or become infected with an STD due to knowledge; 2) preventing people from gaining knowledge is a violation of their basic human rights; 3) there is no evidence to show that sexual knowledge itself leads to sexual experimentation, but there is much evidence that ignorance in this area leads to problems (e.g., abuse by peers, vulnerability to STDs, and pregnancy); 4) young people need to grow up and gain self-confidence; 5) true religion does not withhold knowledge. In the last part of this paper, some methods and practical advice on providing sex education are discussed.
Adolescent ; Child ; Cultural Characteristics ; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice ; Male ; Papua New Guinea ; Sex Education - methods